Snow Storm Sweets, Sweden & Slater

Inspiration can come from many places, both expected & unexpected. Much of my inspiration this winter in regards to food has come from the unusually large number of snow storms we have had, the book “NOMA – Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine”, and the cooking books “Tender” by Britain’s food writer, Nigel Slater & February 14th!

” Snow Storm Desserts for Friends and Lovers”

“blackberry snow-granita”

…a very beautiful color, texture & taste

Recipe: In food processor mix together 1 pint of blackberries & 1 cup caster or powdered sugar. Pulse until well blended. Scoop up one large bowl of freshly fallen snow. Pour blackberry-sugar mixture over snow and mix together until well blended. Mixture will be grainy looking. Eat immediately or store in freezer in air-tight container until ready to eat.

“very, very vanilla snow cream”

…a lovely creamy & softly grainy vanilla cream.

To Make: Whisk together in a large bowl 2 tbsp vanilla paste, 3/4 to 1 cup caster or powdered sugar & 1/2 cup cold whipping cream. Add bowl of fresh snow and quickly, but thoroughly, mix together with a whisk or wooden spoon. Mixture should be a bit creamy. Taste & adjust flavorings. Eat immediately or pack mixture into a container with a tight lid and freeze until ready to eat.

To Serve: Plain or with a chewy chocolate brownie & berries

The common thread between our Tennessee snow storms, the book on Nordic cuisine & Nigel Slater’s books “Tender” is that each one has given me some beautifully inspiring images & ideas about winter foods & cold beauty.

Yes and that image of parsnips with frost on them inspired me to make a mash of parsnips & Yukon gold potatoes and it was delicious. They do indeed look like little shrunken people. Remind me to give you a granita tasting next visit.

Hello Gigi, so nice to hear from you. I just love the way those parsnips look…so shrunken and oddly shaped…Nigel Slater says that he has heard that a hard frost makes the parsnips naturally sweeter, as the frost/cold turns the starches to sugar. Interesting. And thanks for liking my header…that is what my table looked like after I finished making the granita!